Contested L.A. (2018) is a short documentary film that dramatically captures the veiled tensions between the hopes of faithful citizens, the dissenting opinions of passionate protesters, and the ineffectual inscriptions on local government buildings. Visually, textual inscriptions reflecting structures of power and control are met with the vividness of protest imagery and disorder. Aurally, the competing interests and beliefs of average citizens add another layer of tension to heighten the viewer's sense that all is not well. Ultimately, despite the apocalyptic visions offered, the messages of one man, Michael, offer a renewed conception of faith that reinserts humanity into the urban landscape.